A visual history of Monaco's Rose Ball The annual ball was established by Princess Grace of Monaco in 1954, and now raises money for her charitable foundation. Each year, it sees the Monagesque royal family hosting the glamorous and the good from around the globe, with a special theme dictating the dress code. From Princess…
The ancient Egyptian burial site of Saqqara has been studied for more than a century, due to the importance of the location for political, religious and architectural history. One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. But a new “born-digital” publication by UC Santa Cruz associate history…
The UK government’s current plan to ‘tackle unauthorised traveller camps’ and ‘give the police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised encampments’ follows a long line of legislation aimed primarily at Travellers and Gypsies. Past regimes, from the Tudors to the present, have attacked the culture…
HEARTLANDS: ZOSHIGAYA Small winding streets and low-rise houses. Zoshigaya is only a short walk away from the malls, highways and flashing lights of Ikebukuro, but feels like a silent suburb in comparison. This homely heartland has maintained its Showa-era (1926 – 1989) atmosphere, with winding lanes lined with family homes and small shops selling everyday…
California is the largest state of the United States by population, and the third largest by area, located on its coast to the Pacific Ocean. California has natural attractions as well as theme-parks and bustling city life: Southern California is home to such popular attractions as Disneyland, Hollywood and the beaches in Malibu that inspired…
Germany, (officially: the Federal Republic of Germany; German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the largest country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by Denmark, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany is a…
Flanders, Belgium is not often a place that springs to mind for many of us, but it is so packed full of history and activities that you should investigate it. Flowers, chocolate and rather robust beer is only part of the landscape here in this multi-cultural, multi-lingual country in Europe. Get started here.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory only 37 miles long and all together consist of 40 islands and cays, of which only 12 are inhabited. There are two main islands, Grand Turk (Turks Islands) and Providenciales (Caicos Islands). These islands are 575 miles south-east from Florida and 90 miles north…
Bonaire is a Caribbean island east of Central America and north of Venezuela. The island is part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao. It is a flat, riverless island renowned for its dive spots. Its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The temperature is almost constant…
North America is one of two continents of the Americas, named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, with a surface area of 24,221,490km² (9,351,969 square miles). It's in the northern hemisphere, between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and to the north of South America. North America's highest point is Alaska's Denali, which rises…
Ecuador is a country in Northwestern South America, with a Pacific Ocean coastline, lying on the Equator between Colombia, to the northeast, and Peru, to the south and east. Cotopaxi is the world's highest active volcano. Many cities and sites in Ecuador are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Such cities and best known places…
Florida is the southernmost state on the USA mainland. Known as "The Sunshine State", it became a popular winter destination for the well-to-do from colder climates over a century ago, as well as the center for citrus production in North America. Its roots in agriculture are still present, with tropical fruits being a chief export.…
Scandinavia or, more broadly, the Nordic countries, is a European region north of the Baltic Sea. At almost 1.2 million square kilometres (463,000 square miles) it is the largest region in Europe, but home to only around 24 million people, accounting for a mere 4% of the population. Scandinavia consists of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.…
France, officially the French Republic (French: République française), is a country with which almost every traveller has a relationship. Many dream of its joie de vivre shown by the countless restaurants, picturesque villages and world-famous gastronomy. Some come to follow the trail of France's great philosophers, writers and artists, or to immerse in the beautiful…
Aruba is a Caribbean island 15 miles north of the coast of Venezuela, and is one of the four "countries" that together form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is 30 km (19.6 miles) long and 9 km (6 miles) across at its widest point giving it an area of approximately 70 mi² (184 km²). This flat island with…
Colombia - Twice the size of France, and with a diversity of landscapes and cultures that would be hard to find even in countries five times its size, Colombia should by all rights be one of the world's top travel destinations. Pick a climate, and it's yours—if you find the light jacket weather of Bogotá…
Note - as of 1-Dec-2020, travel restrictions are in place for Brazilian travel. Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil) is the largest country in South America and fifth largest in the world. Famous for its football (soccer) tradition and its annual Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Olinda. It is a country of great diversity, from…
Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies 145km (90 miles) south of Key West, Florida, between the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas, to the west of Haiti, east of Mexico and northwest of Jamaica. Understand Cuba became a U.S. protectorate in 1898 after American and…
A guide to the greatest imaginary lands, from books, films and cartoon strips, nominated by readers and collated by a maker of lists John Rentoul @JohnRentoul Monday 2 March 2015 I compiled a Top 10 Fictional Countries for The New Review, the Independent on Sunday’s magazine, yesterday, but this was such a popular one that I can now give you…
Just in case you have seen and done everything in the world, perhaps here is something that you might want to try. Maybe you might wish to use it for a charity event. If, perchance, you do, let us know how it goes. Joseph Pisenti of RealLifeLore (previously) offers a “brief overview” of the longest pedestrian distance…